ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – Cleanup continued Tuesday after flames gutted a two-story Atlantic Beach home Monday afternoon, leaving the property a total loss.
The State Fire Marshal was at the home most of the day Tuesday, sifting through the damage and investigating the cause of the fire, which drew a massive response and caused almost $600,000 in damage, according to fire officials.
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The owners were not home when the fire broke out, and no one was injured in the blaze. The home, which was built in 2004, is 1,600-square feet and its appraised value is approximately $540,000.
"We have a partial roof collapse, incredible amounts of damage to the interior and it will be one of those deals where, hopefully, the family has the strength to deal with this (situation)," Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department spokesman Tom Francis said.
JFRD officials said the homes on either side of the burnt home were charred by heat from the intense flames. They said the owners of those homes were lucky. If the wind had been stronger, the damage could have been much worse.
Firefighters began battling the fire on 10th Street just off East Coast Drive before 5 p.m. Monday. When firefighters arrived, the Cape Cod-style house was already engulfed, and an hour later, a ladder truck and at least six engine companies were still battling the fire. They soaked the home next door to prevent the fire from spreading.
Mark Durham was one of the first people on the block to check out the house.
"It's just unbelievable how the fire just (erupted) so quickly," Durham said. "About 4:45, 5 o'clock, we were out here, the kids were out in the yard, just playing in the yard, and I noticed the neighbor, there was a lot of smoke coming out of the backyard, so I ran over to the neighbor's yard."
Durham said that as soon as he got across the street, he saw 10-foot flames and heard two huge explosions. That's when he called 911.
"My kids play with (those neighbors) every day, and thank God none of the kids were back there or nobody was home, because it was a couple of giant explosions and nobody would have survived," Durham said.
Durham said crews were at the scene until early Tuesday morning, making sure the fire was out.
"I saw it come over to the next door house, and I was worried about their house burning down, too, and luckily it just got the outside of the house and maybe a little smoke damage inside, but I think their house is going to be OK," Durham said.
The original fire call came through dispatch at 4:46 p.m. and firefighters were at the home by 4:49 p.m.